Project to help future survival of NC lions

FIFTEEN lions in the Northern Cape’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park will be collared over the next two months as part of a project by a team of researchers from SANParks together with students from Queen’s University in Ireland.

The team will be conducting research on how lion movements and behaviour influence the energy they use.

SANParks spokesperson Genevieve Maasdorp said yesterday that the specially-developed neck collars would allow the researchers to obtain minute to minute information on the lions.

“The specifically designed collars will be deployed during February and March and will be on the lions for the rest of the year before dropping off automatically,” Maasdorp added.

According to Maasdorp, the lions in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are not same as other lions.

“Typical lion populations have twice as many lionesses, while the Kalahari lions have equal adult males and females. The neck collars will assist in understanding why there are so many males in the Kgalagadi.”

She added that lions, like people, had to make choices about how they used their energy.

“They can save energy by lazing under the shade of trees or use energy to hunt for food to get more energy. These hunts may not always be a success. How lions make their choices may influence on their survival and how well a lioness produces and rears cubs.”

Maasdorp pointed out that the importance of the research was to ensure the future survival of lions in the Kgalagadi.

- Staff Reporter